The present invention is directed generally to a planter attachment for an agricultural combine and more particularly to a planter attachment mounted on a combine between the cutter head and main drive wheels so that seeds are planted in the undisturbed ground behind the cutter head and forwardly of the rear trash discharge.
Whereas the broad concept of combining a harvester and planter has previously been suggested in Weichel U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,626, that patent disclosed a custom four-wheel drive tractor having four different work stations for mounting separate implements therealong. To the contrary, the present invention is directed to a planter attachment for conventional agricultural combines.
Many problems are encountered in attempting to attach a planter implement to an agricultural combine. First, whereas a planter implement could be pulled behind an agricultural combine, the trash discharged from the rearward end of the combine forms a ground cover which substantially interferes with planting and may result in a ten-percent loss of crop.
Severe space limitations are encountered in any attempt to mount a planter implement forwardly of the rear trash discharge. Associated with the severe space limitations is the limited access to any portion of the combine chasis on which a planter implement might be mounted. An associated problem is the support and manipulation of the heavy planter attachment as it is being installed on a combine.
The forward end of an agricultural combine presents a pivotally mounted throat adapted for connection to a cutter head. Since it is important that the longitudinally extended planter units be maintained at a generally constant orientation to the ground as they are raised and lowered, they are not readily adapted for attachment to a pivotal combine throat.
These and other problems are believed to be resolved by the combine planter implement of the present invention.